I returned to my Weight Watchers meeting yesterday and was pleasantly surprised by my weigh in, just .2 lb. above my last weigh in weight. After a modest gain during pregnancy, I wasn't expecting to be so close to my starting weight so soon. Very encouraging, especially since I've not been as consistent on my plan the past few weeks. I'm hopeful that with a closer eye toward what I'm eating, I'll continue to lose.
Dinner tonight is a One Local Summer meal, with all ingredients grown locally. The beans, Dapple Gray, were grown at Phipps Country Store in Pescadero. Onion, shallot, garlic (lots of it!), and sweet peppers are from Full Belly Farm. Home grown herbs (oregano and thyme) round out the flavor - cumin, salt and pepper are the only non-local ingredients. It's in the crockpot for a very simple and healthy dinner. Corn on the cob is from Full Belly, and the green salad with cucumbers are from our garden as well. Olive oil and vinegar both are from Hare Hollow in Healdsburg, and Clover milk is from Sonoma/Mendocino.
Breakfast:
Oatmeal
2 c. milk
1 c. cherries
multivitamin
Lunch:
Salmon salad (2 Points for 2 t. mayo)
bulgur
Tomato wedges, 1 t. olive oil
Dinner:
Bean soup
Corn on the cob
Green salad with cucumbers, 2 t. olive oil and vinegar
1 c. milk
WPA (Weekly Points Allowance) points used today: 2
WPA points available: 35
Activity points today: 2 (Walk Away the Pounds)
Activity points this week: 2
Daily 8 - the 8 Healthy Guidelines
1. Fruits and veggies (8) - 8
2. Whole grains - oatmeal, bulgur
3. Milk (3) - 3
4. Healthy oil (3) - 3
5. Protein - yes
6. Limit sugar and alcohol - yes
7. Water - 8+
8. Multivitamin - yes
Showing posts with label weigh in. Show all posts
Showing posts with label weigh in. Show all posts
Sunday, August 31, 2008
Saturday, January 12, 2008
The veggies are back! The veggies are back!
Full Belly Farm has been on hiatus for the past three weeks, and while they certainly deserve a rest after providing such amazing produce week after week, all year long to over 1000 CSA members, I've been certainly missing my veggie box! I was so excited to pick up our veggies this morning that I squealed a bit when I saw the week's yummy variety, which included:
Cauliflower
Carrots
Salad mix
Leeks
Mandarin oranges
Rutabagas
Tokyo turnips
Butternut squash
It's like Christmas with root vegetables. The Palo Alto Farmer's Market is closed for the winter, so I'm picking up the box at Flea Street Cafe, and there is just a miniature booth of Full Belly goodies - broccoli, kale, root veggies galore, wheat berries, almond butter, dried herbs. So much good stuff! I picked up a bunch of dill and a bunch of cilantro for $2, happy to see the fresh bundles of yummy herbs. ($2 is my current spending for the week. Last week, I spent less than $50 on food, mostly for chicken soup and orange juice!)
***
I weighed myself this morning and was 281 lb., for a total of 30.6 lb. lost. I'm updating my goals and current weight loss for the first time in months. I had a bit of a gain, and a set back in my weight loss, and was embarassed to update with higher numbers. I have to get over that and update whether the scale moves up or down, and being pregnant, I anticipate it moving up in the coming months at a reasonable pace. I'm going to keep track, though, so I don't allow myself to get out of control.
I'm also adjusting my goals. I'm expecting to gain weight during my pregnancy, but my doctor has said that it's okay for me to lose as long as I'm eating enough for the baby to grow at a healthy rate. I would like to end my pregnancy no more than 15 lb. from where I started it. I gained 31 lb. with my first pregnancy, when I ate whatever I cared to eat and made no attempts to exercise, so I think that 15 is reasonable while I'm being careful about what I'm eating and am continuing to exercise.
***
Jax is feeling much better and is bouncing off the walls while I'm recouperating from my chest cold. I'm still sick, but I'm not feeling quite as much like an elephant is sitting on my chest, and I can breathe through my nose again, so things are improving.
Cauliflower
Carrots
Salad mix
Leeks
Mandarin oranges
Rutabagas
Tokyo turnips
Butternut squash
It's like Christmas with root vegetables. The Palo Alto Farmer's Market is closed for the winter, so I'm picking up the box at Flea Street Cafe, and there is just a miniature booth of Full Belly goodies - broccoli, kale, root veggies galore, wheat berries, almond butter, dried herbs. So much good stuff! I picked up a bunch of dill and a bunch of cilantro for $2, happy to see the fresh bundles of yummy herbs. ($2 is my current spending for the week. Last week, I spent less than $50 on food, mostly for chicken soup and orange juice!)
***
I weighed myself this morning and was 281 lb., for a total of 30.6 lb. lost. I'm updating my goals and current weight loss for the first time in months. I had a bit of a gain, and a set back in my weight loss, and was embarassed to update with higher numbers. I have to get over that and update whether the scale moves up or down, and being pregnant, I anticipate it moving up in the coming months at a reasonable pace. I'm going to keep track, though, so I don't allow myself to get out of control.
I'm also adjusting my goals. I'm expecting to gain weight during my pregnancy, but my doctor has said that it's okay for me to lose as long as I'm eating enough for the baby to grow at a healthy rate. I would like to end my pregnancy no more than 15 lb. from where I started it. I gained 31 lb. with my first pregnancy, when I ate whatever I cared to eat and made no attempts to exercise, so I think that 15 is reasonable while I'm being careful about what I'm eating and am continuing to exercise.
***
Jax is feeling much better and is bouncing off the walls while I'm recouperating from my chest cold. I'm still sick, but I'm not feeling quite as much like an elephant is sitting on my chest, and I can breathe through my nose again, so things are improving.
Saturday, September 15, 2007
A loss is a loss
I went to my Weight Watchers meeting today and was surprised to be down .2 lb. (29.8 lb. total.) I certainly expected a gain with the out of control eating earlier in the week, and am ready to be back on track to reach the goal of 31 lb. by next Sunday. That last 1.2 lb. to goal is certainly doable this week.
My measurements show a loss of 43.25 inches since June, with over 10 inches gone in the past month and 8.5 inches off my waist since I started! Wow!
I have been 16 weeks on program, a milestone for me. I've never gotten this far, either with length of time or with amount lost! At the meeting, I received a little charm to go on the 10% keychain, which I hope to receive next week (31 lb. is my first 10%.) I'm really proud of myself for sticking to it this long. Even with an off week every now and then, I'm on a consistent downward trend.
The topic this week was exercise, and that has to be a priority for me to lose like I want. Plus, I'd hate to get to my goal and have lots of extra saggy skin, and while age and genetics play a big role in that, exercise and water are supposed to be helpful in avoiding the extra skin. This week, I plan on walking 2 miles a day for 5 days this week, and I'll do The Firm twice.
My measurements show a loss of 43.25 inches since June, with over 10 inches gone in the past month and 8.5 inches off my waist since I started! Wow!
I have been 16 weeks on program, a milestone for me. I've never gotten this far, either with length of time or with amount lost! At the meeting, I received a little charm to go on the 10% keychain, which I hope to receive next week (31 lb. is my first 10%.) I'm really proud of myself for sticking to it this long. Even with an off week every now and then, I'm on a consistent downward trend.
The topic this week was exercise, and that has to be a priority for me to lose like I want. Plus, I'd hate to get to my goal and have lots of extra saggy skin, and while age and genetics play a big role in that, exercise and water are supposed to be helpful in avoiding the extra skin. This week, I plan on walking 2 miles a day for 5 days this week, and I'll do The Firm twice.
Monday, September 10, 2007
Three Bean Soup with Potatoes
It's been a busy weekend! I'm taking all day classes on Saturdays in September, so Mr.M picked up out CSA box this week and I didn't make it to any farmer's markets. This will be it for the week!
Included in this week's box:
Corn
Eggplant
Edamame
Melon
Onion
Tomatoes
Sweet peppers
Peaches
Yum!
***
For Meatless Monday, we're having Three Bean Soup with Potatoes. I made it early in the day to give it more time to simmer, but it would be easy to make in about an hour without a whole lot of hands on time, and makes a huge pot that will freeze well and be super tasty reheated.
I'm using Red Calypso, Black, and Cannelini beans from Phipps Country Store, and am due for another trip out as I'm down to just one little bag of beans! The veggies all came from Full Belly Farm, except for the jalapeno growing in my front yard and cilantro from C. Farm.
Three Bean Soup with Potatoes
Beans
1 c. dry, picked over Red Calypso Beans (can be substituted for any medium-sized firm bean, like pintos)
1 c. dry, picked over Black Beans
1 c. dry, picked over Cannelini Beans
8 c. vegetable broth
1 onion, peeled and quartered
1 T. canola oil (to keep beans from foaming)
In the pressure cooker, cook on high for 25 minutes. Let pressure come down naturally. Drain beans, reserving broth for another use. You could also soak the beans overnight and use a stove top method to cook them.
Soup
1 onion, diced
2 sweet peppers, diced (I used one red, one orange)
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 jalapeno, seeded and membranes removed, diced fine
1 T. olive oil
Cooked beans
3-4 sprigs fresh cilantro
1 T. chili powder
3-4 c. tomatoes, diced with juices
2 or more cups reserved broth, depending on how soupy you want it
4 large potatoes, diced
2 c. corn, fresh or frozen
salt and pepper to taste
Saute onion, peppers, garlic, and jalapeno in olive oil. When onions are translucent, add beans, cilantro, chili powder, tomatoes, potatoes, and broth. Simmer for 30 minutes. Add corn and salt and pepper and simmer 10 minutes more.
This makes a huge pot of soup. If you want it thicker, you could puree half of the soup in batches. Very tasty!
***
I weighed in on Friday and was down .4 lb., not bad considering the extravagent (for me) meal on Wednesday night. My total is now 29.6. My goal is 31 lb. by September 23, and I should be able to reach it!
Included in this week's box:
Corn
Eggplant
Edamame
Melon
Onion
Tomatoes
Sweet peppers
Peaches
Yum!
***
For Meatless Monday, we're having Three Bean Soup with Potatoes. I made it early in the day to give it more time to simmer, but it would be easy to make in about an hour without a whole lot of hands on time, and makes a huge pot that will freeze well and be super tasty reheated.
I'm using Red Calypso, Black, and Cannelini beans from Phipps Country Store, and am due for another trip out as I'm down to just one little bag of beans! The veggies all came from Full Belly Farm, except for the jalapeno growing in my front yard and cilantro from C. Farm.
Three Bean Soup with Potatoes
Beans
1 c. dry, picked over Red Calypso Beans (can be substituted for any medium-sized firm bean, like pintos)
1 c. dry, picked over Black Beans
1 c. dry, picked over Cannelini Beans
8 c. vegetable broth
1 onion, peeled and quartered
1 T. canola oil (to keep beans from foaming)
In the pressure cooker, cook on high for 25 minutes. Let pressure come down naturally. Drain beans, reserving broth for another use. You could also soak the beans overnight and use a stove top method to cook them.
Soup
1 onion, diced
2 sweet peppers, diced (I used one red, one orange)
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 jalapeno, seeded and membranes removed, diced fine
1 T. olive oil
Cooked beans
3-4 sprigs fresh cilantro
1 T. chili powder
3-4 c. tomatoes, diced with juices
2 or more cups reserved broth, depending on how soupy you want it
4 large potatoes, diced
2 c. corn, fresh or frozen
salt and pepper to taste
Saute onion, peppers, garlic, and jalapeno in olive oil. When onions are translucent, add beans, cilantro, chili powder, tomatoes, potatoes, and broth. Simmer for 30 minutes. Add corn and salt and pepper and simmer 10 minutes more.
This makes a huge pot of soup. If you want it thicker, you could puree half of the soup in batches. Very tasty!
***
I weighed in on Friday and was down .4 lb., not bad considering the extravagent (for me) meal on Wednesday night. My total is now 29.6. My goal is 31 lb. by September 23, and I should be able to reach it!
Saturday, September 1, 2007
Eat Local Challenge, weigh in, and daily menu for September 1
I will spend September participating in the Eat Local Challenge. As part of this challenge, I will continue to buy, prepare, photograph, and eat locally, sustainably grown foods, and will blog all about it. I'm commiting to posting my daily menu every day for the month of September. I'll also try my hand at canning, freezing, and dehydrating the local produce available now so that I have it in the winter.
The exceptions: I will eat spices and condiments like soy sauce that are already in my pantry, grains already in my pantry, and will buy the ingredients for my son's birthday cake that aren't locally produced. All are organic and fair trade (chocolate for the cake) and were (or will be) purchased at a locally owned store.
I'll do it on the USDA's Thrifty Plan budget (currently $132.30 a week for my family), not part of the Eat Local Challenge but an ongoing challenge for myself. I hope to lose an additional 8 lb. this month.
***
Budget Update
As I anticipated, August was an outliar in the budget. I prepaid for 6 months of grains and a full year of produce through CSAs, bringing the total to a whopping $1056.78. Not including the CSA renewals, my total was a much more reasonable $321.53, well under the $519.13 a month that I am alloted on the Thrifty Budget.
The plus side of this outlay of cash is that my food bill for the rest of the year be significantly lower, with both fresh produce and grains paid for in advance.
***
For my first act in the Eat Local Challenge, today I am disassembling 7 local, pastured chickens from Soul Food Farm, packaging and freezing them, and making a big pot of stock, also to be frozen for future use. The chickens cost me $97.00, the first expenditure for this month's budget. I also bought a dozen pastured eggs for $5.
***
Today's Full Belly Farm CSA box includes:
Eggplant
Grapes
Potatoes
Tomatoes
Peaches
Summer squash
Peppers
Melon
At the farmer's market, I spent $32 and bought garlic chevre (goat cheese), cilantro, green onion, fresh peanuts (I haven't ever seen local peanuts!), olive oil, and LOTS of red peppers to roast and freeze.
Including the chickens, I'm up to $135 for September's food.
***
Another Saturday morning, another weigh in! This week, the scale showed a lost of 2.8 lb., for a total of 29.2 gone. I'm well on my way to the goal of 30 lb. by September 23.
***
Daily Menu
Breakfast
Melon from Full Belly Farm
2 c. milk from Clover Stornetta Farms
Lunch
2 eggs
1/4 oz. cheese (.5 Points)
apple
Dinner
Grilled eggplant stacks with goat cheese and balsamic reduction (2 Points) including eggplant from Full Belly Farm, red peppers from Happy Quail, vinegar from Hare Hollow, wine from Frog's Leap, and garlic chevre (goat cheese) from Spring Hill Cheese
Bulgur (locally purchased but not produced) with homemade chicken stock, lemon juice and lemon zest from the tree across the street, and lemon olive oil from St. Helena Olive Oil Company and a bit of fresh thyme
Grilled corn on the cob
A glass of wine from Frog's Leap
WPA (Weekly Points Allowance) points used today: 4.5
WPA points available: 33.5
Activity points today: 3 (30 minute Walk Away the Pounds video)
Activity points this week: 3
Daily 8 - the 8 Healthy Guidelines
1. Fruits and veggies - 5+
2. Whole grains - bulgur
3. Milk - yes
4. Healthy oil - yes
5. Protein - eggs
6. Limit sugar and alcohol - yes
7. Water - 8+
8. Multivitamin - yes
Saturday, August 25, 2007
Sick and whiny: why I missed Weight Watchers and flew threw the farmer's market
I started sniffling yesterday afternoon and by the evening, full blown cold had set in. I woke up this morning with a sinus headache, sniffles, aches, sneezes, and a sore throat, and decided to stay in bed for as much extra rest as I could manage while Mr.M took Jax to swim class. Still sniffly, I made my way out to grocery shop so we have the food to make a week of menus and aren't tempted to eat out instead. I have to stop that habit in its tracks if I want to continue along losing weight! On my home scale (which is routinely the same as the Weight Watcher's scale), I'm up 1.4 lb. this week. Hopefully next week will drop that and more. Perhaps a sore throat will come in handy after all, haha.
Jax came shopping with me after swim class, and he seemed to enjoy the market. Usually he's home with Dad, and I wish I'd brought him on a morning when I didn't feel so awful! I picked up the CSA box from Full Belly, visited briefly with Ariel from Green Oaks Creek, and shared a basket of strawberries on the lawn, listening to music for a few minutes before heading off to Country Sun for staple grains and dairy. I spent $67.96 at Country Sun on several pounds of each:
Lentils
Whole wheat pasta
Soba (buckwheat) noodles
Bulgur
Wheat Berries
Whole wheat Couscous
Short grain brown rice
And:
Cumin seeds
String cheese for Jax
2 gallons of milk from Clover
a quart of yogurt from Wallaby
2 mineral waters (from Calistoga so still local)
and a fruit leather for Jax to eat in the cart
So while there are no kabobs tonight, as I neglected to stop by the meat booth, we can still have couscous, tzatziki, and grilled vegetables.
Jax came shopping with me after swim class, and he seemed to enjoy the market. Usually he's home with Dad, and I wish I'd brought him on a morning when I didn't feel so awful! I picked up the CSA box from Full Belly, visited briefly with Ariel from Green Oaks Creek, and shared a basket of strawberries on the lawn, listening to music for a few minutes before heading off to Country Sun for staple grains and dairy. I spent $67.96 at Country Sun on several pounds of each:
Lentils
Whole wheat pasta
Soba (buckwheat) noodles
Bulgur
Wheat Berries
Whole wheat Couscous
Short grain brown rice
And:
Cumin seeds
String cheese for Jax
2 gallons of milk from Clover
a quart of yogurt from Wallaby
2 mineral waters (from Calistoga so still local)
and a fruit leather for Jax to eat in the cart
So while there are no kabobs tonight, as I neglected to stop by the meat booth, we can still have couscous, tzatziki, and grilled vegetables.
Saturday, August 18, 2007
I ate past the "sigh" and loved every bite!
Mr.M and I returned from our three-day Napa/Sonoma getaway last night refreshed, just how one wants to return from a few days away from work, home, and child in one of the most gorgeous, serene destinations in the country. We ate well, drank well, and spent an entire afternoon napping; it was lovely.
Wednesday:
We had a very loose itinerary. After dropping off Jax at my parents' house, we had lunch at a local Mexican restaurant. In the rush to get everything done, we hadn't had breakfast and I was quite hungry. I ordered a shrimp salad with whole beans and cheese on the side. I used salsa as the dressing, added beans and just a sprinkle of cheese, avoided the shell and chips, and it was a satisfying lunch. I would order that again, even without shrimp as the beans gave it enough protein and plenty of fiber for keeping me full for a while.
St. Helena Olive Oil Company was the first stop in wine country. We tasted a variety of olive oils, vinegars, mustards, and dips, all delicious and many made on site. I particularly liked the lemon olive oil, with a crisp lemon bite and fruity olive flavor, and brought a bottle home for salads.
Our next stop was at one of the two wineries on our itinerary, Frog's Leap. (We never made it to the second!) We were too late for a tour but spent half an hour chatting with Megan, a friendly administrator who gets to work in the sales room one day a week. She told us about the organic, sustainable practices that the winery employs and gave us samples of the Sauvignon Blanc and Zinfandel. We're not big wine drinkers, but we really enjoyed it and bought half a dozen bottles. The tours were booked for the next few days, but Megan took our number to let us know if there was a cancellation, and sure enough she was able to get squeeze us into a tour the next morning.
We drove up to Calistoga where we stayed at the Calistoga Inn. It's a quaint, European style hotel (shared bathrooms) over a restaurant and pub. We walked down picturesque Lincoln Ave. (like walking in a 1950's postcard!) and stopped for dinner at All Seasons Bistro. We sharing two delicious, locally sourced meals: roasted pork loin medallions with stone fruit chutney (melt-in-your-mouth tender) and a glass of chardonnay, and Sonoma duck duo - seared breast and leg confit - with pan juices and Provencal vegetables (and bacon! yum!) and a glass of petit syrah. For dessert, s'mores with homemade graham cracker, homemade marshmallow, and a decadent espresso-chocolate ice cream. We "mmmm"-ed all through dinner! The waiter recommended the wines to us (as I said, we're not big wine drinkers and wouldn't have known where to start) and they complimented the meals quite nicely.
We spent the evening in the pub at the Calistoga Inn listening to a local band and drinking excellent beer, brewed on site. We tried the Kolsch, Porter, and a guest India Pale Ale from a microbrewery in Eureka. I also enjoyed a few mojitos. The bar staff was friendly and atmosphere was great for sharing company with a few locals and a pair of Swedish college boys on a whirlwind US tour.
Thursday:
We were back at Frog's Leap for the tour first thing Thursday morning, which in Napa means 10:30 am. (Nothing is open in the valley before 10 am!) Rachel led the tour, and she had so much energy and enthusiasm that it was hard not to be excited with her about the winery. The organic, sustainable winery utilizes dry farming methods (no irrigation, no fertilizers, and no pesticides), solar panels to cover all of its electricity, and is home to 5 acres of organic orchards and vegetable gardens which adds natural biodiversity and encourages beneficial insects throughout the property. Their 200 acres of vineyards boast grapevines with 22 feet deep root systems; industry standard is a mere 2 feet. Having such deep roots help the grapes retain water in the soil and withstand root pests, which only live in the top two feet of soil. They plant cover crops off season as nitrogen fixers and to add nutrients to the soil. (Who knew I was so interested in soil?!)
The barn is one of 5 original red barns in the county, restored with 80% of its original boards and 20% reclaimed wood. The main house was also built with reclaimed wood, geothermal heating and cooling, and a variety of green building methods. We were encouraged to pick fruit and vegetables from their garden, and living local enough to use it, we brought home two full bags of apples, peaches, and peppers. I'll be freezing peaches, drying apples, and roasting peppers this weekend!
And, of course, the wine was fantastic. We found the tour fascinating and would highly recommend it if you are ever in the area. The tour is free, and we tasted five wonderful wines. As wine novices, we also learned quite a bit about what to look for in different types of wines and how they are produced.
We ate a packed lunch of black-bean and wheat berry salad with fresh veggies and apples picked at Frog's Leap, and then went back to our room for a short nap that turned into a long nap. The second winery that we planned to visit was snoozed through.
For dinner, we visited The Girl and The Fig. This was another amazing meal. We started with a cheese and fruit sampler (left to right): cow's milk Three Sisters Serena, goat's milk Cypress Grove Humboldt Fog, and sheep's milk Bellwether Farm's Pepato. All three are California cheeses, and they were delicious! We especially liked the sheep's milk cheese, studded with peppercorns. They were served with apples, nuts, fig chutney, and fig cakes.
We both had heirloom tomato soup with basil and saffron, and for our entrees, Mr.M tried the grass fed flatiron steak with pommes frites and I had the daily special, herb-crusted halibut with saffron Israeli couscous and spinach, sauteed baby squash, and a red-pepper sauce. It was beautiful, colorful, and tasted spectacular. The fish was crispy on the outside and tender on the inside; the couscous had that warm, rich saffron flavor, and the sauce complimented both. Mr.M's steak was equally delicious and very tender. For dessert, I enjoyed a small scoop of chocolate orange sorbet, fig and port ice cream, and hazelnut gelato. I had the "wine flight" with my meal - three tastes of wine, one with the soup, one with the entree, and a port with the dessert. I didn't write down what they were, unfortunately, but they were tasty!
Friday:
Friday morning we headed down to Napa to visit Copia, the American Center for Wine, Food, and The Arts. They offer cooking demonstrations (we attended one featuring tomatoes), wine tastings, and regular classes in addition to their ongoing exhibits, Forks in the Road about the American food experience and Hungry Planet, a fascinating photo series documenting what families eat for an entire week in countries around the world, based on the book of the same name by Peter Menzel. It is a beautiful building and the grounds house several acres of edible gardens. We ate lunch at Julia's Kitchen inside the Copia, which offered a number of the garden's fruits and vegetables on their menu.
For lunch, I had the portobello mushroom wellington with eggplant puree, asparagus, and tomatoes. It was almost too pretty to eat, and tasted as good as it looked! The pastry was flaky and the sauce had a creamy texture but tangy, savory flavor that was just delightful.
After the Copia, we picked up Jax and came home. It was so nice to just spend time with Mr.M alone, no work, no baby, no worries for a few days, and we had fun just being together.
***
I was sure that I gained weight as I indulged in all of these amazing meals, eating the bread, desserts, and delectable sauces but when I went to Weight Watchers this morning, I was pleasantly surprised to have lost .4 lb.! Sweet!
***
At the farmer's market after Weight Watchers, I renewed my CSA box a year in advance. Add $686 to my monthly total and my budget is blown out of the water, but broken down it's just $58 a month for fresh, local, organic produce delivered to me. You really can't beat that. By paying a year in advance, I save a dollar a week. Since summer is the busy season for our family business, and the time of year when I have a little extra cushion in the budget, it was worth it to pay upfront and not have to worry about coming up with it in the winter, when the budget is tighter by necessity.
Today's box includes:
corn
cucumbers
eggplant
cantaloupe
honeyloupe
peppers
potatoes
tomatoes
This will be a tasty week! I also spent $24 on Pacific snapper for dinner tonight, cheese and butter from Spring Hill, onions, and Glaum eggs. I still need milk, rice, and yogurt, which will bring the total closer to $44 for this week's groceries, plus the CSA payment.
***
Daily Menu
Breakfast
apple
2 slices Alvarado Street Bakery toast and 1 t. Spring Hill scallion-lemon butter (3 Points)
Lunch
red lentil soup with tomatoes and potatoes
1 oz. cheese (3 Points)
peach
Dinner
more red lentil soup (yummy!)
WPA (Weekly Points Allowance) points used today: 6
WPA points available: 35
Activity points today: 8 (The Firm video)
Activity points this week: 8
Daily 8 - the 8 Healthy Guidelines
1. Fruits and veggies - 5+
2. Whole grains - whole wheat bread
3. Milk - yes
4. Healthy oil - yes
5. Protein - yes (fish)
6. Limit sugar and alcohol - yes
7. Water - 8+
8. Multivitamin - yes
Wednesday:
We had a very loose itinerary. After dropping off Jax at my parents' house, we had lunch at a local Mexican restaurant. In the rush to get everything done, we hadn't had breakfast and I was quite hungry. I ordered a shrimp salad with whole beans and cheese on the side. I used salsa as the dressing, added beans and just a sprinkle of cheese, avoided the shell and chips, and it was a satisfying lunch. I would order that again, even without shrimp as the beans gave it enough protein and plenty of fiber for keeping me full for a while.
St. Helena Olive Oil Company was the first stop in wine country. We tasted a variety of olive oils, vinegars, mustards, and dips, all delicious and many made on site. I particularly liked the lemon olive oil, with a crisp lemon bite and fruity olive flavor, and brought a bottle home for salads.
Our next stop was at one of the two wineries on our itinerary, Frog's Leap. (We never made it to the second!) We were too late for a tour but spent half an hour chatting with Megan, a friendly administrator who gets to work in the sales room one day a week. She told us about the organic, sustainable practices that the winery employs and gave us samples of the Sauvignon Blanc and Zinfandel. We're not big wine drinkers, but we really enjoyed it and bought half a dozen bottles. The tours were booked for the next few days, but Megan took our number to let us know if there was a cancellation, and sure enough she was able to get squeeze us into a tour the next morning.
We drove up to Calistoga where we stayed at the Calistoga Inn. It's a quaint, European style hotel (shared bathrooms) over a restaurant and pub. We walked down picturesque Lincoln Ave. (like walking in a 1950's postcard!) and stopped for dinner at All Seasons Bistro. We sharing two delicious, locally sourced meals: roasted pork loin medallions with stone fruit chutney (melt-in-your-mouth tender) and a glass of chardonnay, and Sonoma duck duo - seared breast and leg confit - with pan juices and Provencal vegetables (and bacon! yum!) and a glass of petit syrah. For dessert, s'mores with homemade graham cracker, homemade marshmallow, and a decadent espresso-chocolate ice cream. We "mmmm"-ed all through dinner! The waiter recommended the wines to us (as I said, we're not big wine drinkers and wouldn't have known where to start) and they complimented the meals quite nicely.
We spent the evening in the pub at the Calistoga Inn listening to a local band and drinking excellent beer, brewed on site. We tried the Kolsch, Porter, and a guest India Pale Ale from a microbrewery in Eureka. I also enjoyed a few mojitos. The bar staff was friendly and atmosphere was great for sharing company with a few locals and a pair of Swedish college boys on a whirlwind US tour.
Thursday:
We were back at Frog's Leap for the tour first thing Thursday morning, which in Napa means 10:30 am. (Nothing is open in the valley before 10 am!) Rachel led the tour, and she had so much energy and enthusiasm that it was hard not to be excited with her about the winery. The organic, sustainable winery utilizes dry farming methods (no irrigation, no fertilizers, and no pesticides), solar panels to cover all of its electricity, and is home to 5 acres of organic orchards and vegetable gardens which adds natural biodiversity and encourages beneficial insects throughout the property. Their 200 acres of vineyards boast grapevines with 22 feet deep root systems; industry standard is a mere 2 feet. Having such deep roots help the grapes retain water in the soil and withstand root pests, which only live in the top two feet of soil. They plant cover crops off season as nitrogen fixers and to add nutrients to the soil. (Who knew I was so interested in soil?!)
The barn is one of 5 original red barns in the county, restored with 80% of its original boards and 20% reclaimed wood. The main house was also built with reclaimed wood, geothermal heating and cooling, and a variety of green building methods. We were encouraged to pick fruit and vegetables from their garden, and living local enough to use it, we brought home two full bags of apples, peaches, and peppers. I'll be freezing peaches, drying apples, and roasting peppers this weekend!
And, of course, the wine was fantastic. We found the tour fascinating and would highly recommend it if you are ever in the area. The tour is free, and we tasted five wonderful wines. As wine novices, we also learned quite a bit about what to look for in different types of wines and how they are produced.
We ate a packed lunch of black-bean and wheat berry salad with fresh veggies and apples picked at Frog's Leap, and then went back to our room for a short nap that turned into a long nap. The second winery that we planned to visit was snoozed through.
For dinner, we visited The Girl and The Fig. This was another amazing meal. We started with a cheese and fruit sampler (left to right): cow's milk Three Sisters Serena, goat's milk Cypress Grove Humboldt Fog, and sheep's milk Bellwether Farm's Pepato. All three are California cheeses, and they were delicious! We especially liked the sheep's milk cheese, studded with peppercorns. They were served with apples, nuts, fig chutney, and fig cakes.
We both had heirloom tomato soup with basil and saffron, and for our entrees, Mr.M tried the grass fed flatiron steak with pommes frites and I had the daily special, herb-crusted halibut with saffron Israeli couscous and spinach, sauteed baby squash, and a red-pepper sauce. It was beautiful, colorful, and tasted spectacular. The fish was crispy on the outside and tender on the inside; the couscous had that warm, rich saffron flavor, and the sauce complimented both. Mr.M's steak was equally delicious and very tender. For dessert, I enjoyed a small scoop of chocolate orange sorbet, fig and port ice cream, and hazelnut gelato. I had the "wine flight" with my meal - three tastes of wine, one with the soup, one with the entree, and a port with the dessert. I didn't write down what they were, unfortunately, but they were tasty!
Friday:
Friday morning we headed down to Napa to visit Copia, the American Center for Wine, Food, and The Arts. They offer cooking demonstrations (we attended one featuring tomatoes), wine tastings, and regular classes in addition to their ongoing exhibits, Forks in the Road about the American food experience and Hungry Planet, a fascinating photo series documenting what families eat for an entire week in countries around the world, based on the book of the same name by Peter Menzel. It is a beautiful building and the grounds house several acres of edible gardens. We ate lunch at Julia's Kitchen inside the Copia, which offered a number of the garden's fruits and vegetables on their menu.
For lunch, I had the portobello mushroom wellington with eggplant puree, asparagus, and tomatoes. It was almost too pretty to eat, and tasted as good as it looked! The pastry was flaky and the sauce had a creamy texture but tangy, savory flavor that was just delightful.
After the Copia, we picked up Jax and came home. It was so nice to just spend time with Mr.M alone, no work, no baby, no worries for a few days, and we had fun just being together.
***
I was sure that I gained weight as I indulged in all of these amazing meals, eating the bread, desserts, and delectable sauces but when I went to Weight Watchers this morning, I was pleasantly surprised to have lost .4 lb.! Sweet!
***
At the farmer's market after Weight Watchers, I renewed my CSA box a year in advance. Add $686 to my monthly total and my budget is blown out of the water, but broken down it's just $58 a month for fresh, local, organic produce delivered to me. You really can't beat that. By paying a year in advance, I save a dollar a week. Since summer is the busy season for our family business, and the time of year when I have a little extra cushion in the budget, it was worth it to pay upfront and not have to worry about coming up with it in the winter, when the budget is tighter by necessity.
Today's box includes:
corn
cucumbers
eggplant
cantaloupe
honeyloupe
peppers
potatoes
tomatoes
This will be a tasty week! I also spent $24 on Pacific snapper for dinner tonight, cheese and butter from Spring Hill, onions, and Glaum eggs. I still need milk, rice, and yogurt, which will bring the total closer to $44 for this week's groceries, plus the CSA payment.
***
Daily Menu
Breakfast
apple
2 slices Alvarado Street Bakery toast and 1 t. Spring Hill scallion-lemon butter (3 Points)
Lunch
red lentil soup with tomatoes and potatoes
1 oz. cheese (3 Points)
peach
Dinner
more red lentil soup (yummy!)
WPA (Weekly Points Allowance) points used today: 6
WPA points available: 35
Activity points today: 8 (The Firm video)
Activity points this week: 8
Daily 8 - the 8 Healthy Guidelines
1. Fruits and veggies - 5+
2. Whole grains - whole wheat bread
3. Milk - yes
4. Healthy oil - yes
5. Protein - yes (fish)
6. Limit sugar and alcohol - yes
7. Water - 8+
8. Multivitamin - yes
Saturday, August 4, 2007
Fruits of our neighbors
Mr.M and Jax went on a walk last night and brought home a bag full of goodies. It seems that they stopped to chat with each neighbor with a fruiting tree, told them about our quest to eat local foods, and were given as much as they could carry. They brought home apples, oranges, lemons, a big grapefruit, and mouths smeared with blackberry (they don't travel well in the company of bigger fruit!) The blackberry bush's owner said we were welcome back, so I'll be back to get a batch to freeze. Same goes for apples - applesauce is coming our way with these sweet, tart beauties.
What is growing in your neighborhood? Most of the tree-owners we've encountered are happy to give fruits away from their trees and it never hurts to ask if you could enjoy a few. It doesn't get much more local than that!
***
I took off what was gained last week, and then some, so I'm feeling good about today's weigh in. I'm now down 24 lb. in 11 weeks and making strides toward my goal of 10%/31 lb. by September 23. My BMI, still well within the obese range, is down 4 points.
***
The Weight Watchers leader substite I didn't like (see the June 22 entry) was back again. She started the meeting by saying she'd gained 5 pounds and the scales must be off. Well, I lost 3.8 lb and am counting on them being right! Then she goes on to talk about how she started out SO fat at 170 lb. and how did she let herself get so big, and talking to a new woman about how it's good that she started WW before really getting heavy. Um, HELLO!? I'm starting out at 311 lb. and my GOAL is 165. I'll be THRILLED, jumping up and down and hugging anyone who will let me, when I reach 170 and even then it will take more than a year of hard work to get there. I almost left in the middle of the meeting, but I wanted to tell her how discouraging that was. She talked again about how she doesn't exercise, but she has heard it can help. Our regular leader is at a bowling tournament and she said the regular leader was "almost fanatical" about exercise. WHAT?
After the meeting, I told her that I found talking about the weight in numbers really discouraging, since she was feeling so horrible about being at my goal weight. She said that's not what she meant, and I'm taller and she has smaller bone structure besides (taller by two inches and who can see my bone structure under all this padding?), and that she was eating unhealthy and not at a good weight for her. I said she should say she was eating unhealthy and was uncomfortable at her weight instead of saying how terrible 170 is. I'm still feeling discouraged and will be mentioning it to my regular leader next week. (I find my regular leader inspiring and incredibly helpful. She has lost 140 lb. and I can identify with her.)
***
Budget
I've been eating primarily local, organic, CORE foods and doing it on the USDA's Thrifty Plan for cost of food at home - just about $92 a week for my family. I went over a few weeks and under a few weeks, but my average is right about $90 for the past 6 weeks. We're adding an eater to our family, as I'm cooking lunch and dinner for my mother in law (for here or to go) in exchange for childcare when I go back to school next month. She eats here frequently anyway, but now it's a bit more of a formal arrangement and I'm adding her into our cost of food. With that addition, my weekly budget is now $119.80. Thank goodness for all the free fruits, since I bought only $73.57 this week so far.
This week, I've spent:
$26.00 for two chickens and a dozen eggs at Soul Food Farms
$33.57 for bread, polenta, yogurt, milk, applesauce, spices, spaghetti, dried tomatoes, feta cheese, a bottle of Bragg's Liquid Aminos, and an apple bar for Jax at Country Sun
$14.00 for two blocks of smoked sharp cheddar from Spring Hill Cheese
I also sent in $180.00 for the Grain CSA payment. It has been a bad couple of weeks for fishing so the whole salmon isn't in quite yet, but that will be here soon adding to our monthly budget. Also, I'll be renewing my produce CSA box at the end of the month, adding another $185.00 to the month expenditures.
***
Daily Menu
Breakfast
1 slice California Style whole grain toast from Alvarado Street Bakery (1 Point)
1/2 t. butter from Spring Hill Cheese (yummmm!), 1 t. Strawberry Rhubarb jelly from Phipps Country Store (1 Point)
1 c. plain fat free Wallaby yogurt
1/4 c. steel cut oatmeal
2 apricots
Lunch
leftover Chicken cacciatore with whole wheat pasta and 1 t. olive oil
Apple from a neighbor's yard
Dinner
We ate at Fresh Choice. I had a bowl of pho noodles (1 Point for the noodles), a huge salad with olive oil and balsamic vinegar, and a brownie (3 Points).
WPA (Weekly Points Allowance) points used today: 6
WPA points available: 32
Activity points today: 3 (Walking)
Activity points this week: 3
Daily 8 - the 8 Healthy Guidelines
1. Fruits and veggies - 5+
2. Whole grains - oatmeal, whole wheat pasta, whole grain bread
3. Milk - yes
4. Healthy oil - yes
5. Protein - yes (chicken)
6. Limit sugar and alcohol - yes
7. Water - 8+
8. Multivitamin - yes
What is growing in your neighborhood? Most of the tree-owners we've encountered are happy to give fruits away from their trees and it never hurts to ask if you could enjoy a few. It doesn't get much more local than that!
***
I took off what was gained last week, and then some, so I'm feeling good about today's weigh in. I'm now down 24 lb. in 11 weeks and making strides toward my goal of 10%/31 lb. by September 23. My BMI, still well within the obese range, is down 4 points.
***
The Weight Watchers leader substite I didn't like (see the June 22 entry) was back again. She started the meeting by saying she'd gained 5 pounds and the scales must be off. Well, I lost 3.8 lb and am counting on them being right! Then she goes on to talk about how she started out SO fat at 170 lb. and how did she let herself get so big, and talking to a new woman about how it's good that she started WW before really getting heavy. Um, HELLO!? I'm starting out at 311 lb. and my GOAL is 165. I'll be THRILLED, jumping up and down and hugging anyone who will let me, when I reach 170 and even then it will take more than a year of hard work to get there. I almost left in the middle of the meeting, but I wanted to tell her how discouraging that was. She talked again about how she doesn't exercise, but she has heard it can help. Our regular leader is at a bowling tournament and she said the regular leader was "almost fanatical" about exercise. WHAT?
After the meeting, I told her that I found talking about the weight in numbers really discouraging, since she was feeling so horrible about being at my goal weight. She said that's not what she meant, and I'm taller and she has smaller bone structure besides (taller by two inches and who can see my bone structure under all this padding?), and that she was eating unhealthy and not at a good weight for her. I said she should say she was eating unhealthy and was uncomfortable at her weight instead of saying how terrible 170 is. I'm still feeling discouraged and will be mentioning it to my regular leader next week. (I find my regular leader inspiring and incredibly helpful. She has lost 140 lb. and I can identify with her.)
***
Budget
I've been eating primarily local, organic, CORE foods and doing it on the USDA's Thrifty Plan for cost of food at home - just about $92 a week for my family. I went over a few weeks and under a few weeks, but my average is right about $90 for the past 6 weeks. We're adding an eater to our family, as I'm cooking lunch and dinner for my mother in law (for here or to go) in exchange for childcare when I go back to school next month. She eats here frequently anyway, but now it's a bit more of a formal arrangement and I'm adding her into our cost of food. With that addition, my weekly budget is now $119.80. Thank goodness for all the free fruits, since I bought only $73.57 this week so far.
This week, I've spent:
$26.00 for two chickens and a dozen eggs at Soul Food Farms
$33.57 for bread, polenta, yogurt, milk, applesauce, spices, spaghetti, dried tomatoes, feta cheese, a bottle of Bragg's Liquid Aminos, and an apple bar for Jax at Country Sun
$14.00 for two blocks of smoked sharp cheddar from Spring Hill Cheese
I also sent in $180.00 for the Grain CSA payment. It has been a bad couple of weeks for fishing so the whole salmon isn't in quite yet, but that will be here soon adding to our monthly budget. Also, I'll be renewing my produce CSA box at the end of the month, adding another $185.00 to the month expenditures.
***
Daily Menu
Breakfast
1 slice California Style whole grain toast from Alvarado Street Bakery (1 Point)
1/2 t. butter from Spring Hill Cheese (yummmm!), 1 t. Strawberry Rhubarb jelly from Phipps Country Store (1 Point)
1 c. plain fat free Wallaby yogurt
1/4 c. steel cut oatmeal
2 apricots
Lunch
leftover Chicken cacciatore with whole wheat pasta and 1 t. olive oil
Apple from a neighbor's yard
Dinner
We ate at Fresh Choice. I had a bowl of pho noodles (1 Point for the noodles), a huge salad with olive oil and balsamic vinegar, and a brownie (3 Points).
WPA (Weekly Points Allowance) points used today: 6
WPA points available: 32
Activity points today: 3 (Walking)
Activity points this week: 3
Daily 8 - the 8 Healthy Guidelines
1. Fruits and veggies - 5+
2. Whole grains - oatmeal, whole wheat pasta, whole grain bread
3. Milk - yes
4. Healthy oil - yes
5. Protein - yes (chicken)
6. Limit sugar and alcohol - yes
7. Water - 8+
8. Multivitamin - yes
Saturday, July 28, 2007
Edible Landscapes, new vegetables, and Daily Menu for July 28
This week's farmer's market haul.
Baby corn
I must reiterate my love of the farmer's market. This is the best time of year for fresh, local produce, and I splurged on a delightful variety of fruits and veggies, pork, and fish this week. Pietro had Pacific Snapper, and TLC farms was there a variety of pork products, including sausages and bacon. I bought a small ham. My CSA box from Full Belly included:
Basil
Blue Lake Green Beans (going into the freezer)
Peaches
Squash
Garlic
Gypsy peppers (yellow, but sweet)
Ambrosia melon
Heirloom Tomatoes
Bi-color corn.
The last asparagus of the season also made its way home with me, in addition to parsley, cilantro and green onion, and fresh baby corn from Heirloom Organics! I've never seen baby corn outside of a can in the Asian foods section and was delighted to learn that nearly the entire thing is edible - husk, strings and all - and it is sweet and crunchy. I love finding new vegetables to try! I plan on stir-frying some of them later in the week with tofu and green beans. Another stand had purple string beans, but having a new bag of green beans in my CSA box and another from last week still unused, I left those to try another time.
Bonnie at the Stanford radio station interviewed me at the market this morning, and I'll post when I hear about the interview airing. She was interviewing growers and buyers at the farmer's market, overheard me asking about the baby corn and talking about the joy of local eating, and asked if I wouldn't mind being interviewed. Of course, I'm always excited to share my local food love!
I spoke with Gilbert and Ginger Gibson from Gibson Farms in Hollister about the difference between sulfured and unsulfered dried fruits. They have apricots treated both ways, in addition to walnuts and almonds. (Dried fruits and nuts are not CORE.) The unsulfured apricots are darker, a tiny bit bitter (not at all unpleasant), and have a chewier texture, whereas the sulfured apricots had the vibrant color I am familiar with in dried fruit and a juicier texture. Both tasted excellent and had a great mouthfeel, and I bought a small package of diced sulfured apricots to add to my oatmeal, counting the POINTS of course.
This afternoon, we're taking the Edible Landscaping tour of Palo Alto, hosted by Common Ground. I'll report back about what we discover.
***
I weighed in this morning with an expected gain. I ate out last night, and earlier in the week as well, not paying as close attention as was needed to my satisfaction point. I'll be watching that more closely this week.
Also, I've injured my foot and my doctor has recommended that I not walk more than necessary for the next week, and as walking is my primary exercise, I'll be earning few if any activity points this coming week. (Of course, I am spending the day walking at the Edible Landscapes tour, and while the pace is leisurely, the Points still add up!)
***
Daily Menu
Breakfast
yogurt and peach
3 plums
Lunch
Green salad with carrot, tomato, 2 t. olive oil and vinegar
Salmon
Black beans
Broccoli with 1 T. Parmesan cheese (.5 Points)
Dinner
Lentil tamale pie
milk
apple
WPA (Weekly Points Allowance) points used today: .5
WPA points available: 35
Activity points today: 3
Activity points this week: 3
Daily 8 - the 8 Healthy Guidelines
1. Fruits and veggies - 5+
2. Whole grains - polenta in tamale pie
3. Milk - yes
4. Healthy oil - yes
5. Protein - yes (lentils, black beans, fish)
6. Limit sugar and alcohol - yes
7. Water - 8+
8. Multivitamin - yes
Saturday, July 14, 2007
The Bounty in the Neighbor's Yard
It's an abundant time of year for fresh fruits and vegetables, and our neighborhood has its own unused bounty sadly falling onto the sidewalks. On my walk with Jax this week, we discovered a plum tree whose fruit is littering the yard and sidewalk, lemons, oranges, and apples (not yet ripe), and a big rosemary bush. The lemons have been offered to us by their kind owners (and our occasional babysitter) and today I asked to pick some of the ripe, juicy plums, coming home with a nice sized bag that are already half eaten. This week, I'll ask about the oranges and rosemary, and I'll go back for more plums! I'd love to find a bay tree in the neighborhood; I'll have to keep an eye out on future walks!
One of our neighbors has chickens and a lovely garden, supplying some of her neighbors with occasional eggs. Another neighbor grows zucchini by the bushel and it is a regular late-summer gift to all of his neighbors. At the end of the street, a small garden is growing between the street and sidewalk, with staked tomatoes, strawberries, and squash. Our suburban street is flush with fresh, flavorful, foods!
My garden plans have been sadly neglected, but I'm more inspired to start with late season seeds and join the grow-my-own club. There is an event scheduled at Common Ground in Palo Alto called the Edible Landscaping tour, described as a self-guided tour to
***
Today's weigh in showed a drop of 1.6 lb., for a total of 18.2 lost. Next week should bring me to the 20 lb. mark. At the meeting today, our leader Jennifer started a travelling food journal. A different member takes the journal each week and tracks what they eat that week, passing it along at the end of their week for someone new. I thought it was a really neat idea, and a good way to get new ideas. I took it for the first week, and hopefully I can take a look at the end of the book to see what other people have been eating. I'm a food voyeur! :)
I did my shopping after Weight Watchers and made up for my very inexpensive shopping week last week! I didn't end up buying any more milk last week, so my total was only $17.45. This week, I needed more lentils, beans, oatmeal, milk, yogurt, a few spices, and of course produce, plus a few incidentals. I asked the buyer at Country Sun where the lentils and black beans come from, but she couldn't say specifically, only "back east". Many of the bulk bins are local, including Lundberg Farms rice, locally grown nuts and such.
I spent $51.50 at Country Sun, $25 at the farmer's market (including Spring Hill smoked sharp cheddar and a piece of snapper), and another $42 at the Grocery Outlet, where I bought 12-grain bread by Vital Vittles, whole wheat pitas by Soli's Bakery, corn tortillas by another local company, and a case of canned vegetable stock (not local), case of canned organic tomatoes (not local), two blocks of organic cheese from Petaluma (and only $2.99 a lb!) and a jar of pickles for Mr.M. He likes Clausen pickles and only Clausen pickles, but I rarely buy them.
Yesterday, I bought eggs (local and organic) and Garden burgers for the boy-o (not local) at Costco for $12.98. My food expenses for the week thus add up to $131.48. Tomorrow, I'm buying more produce to can and freeze, and I ordered another whole salmon, coming in next week; I'm also sending in a check for the grain CSA, so it will be another pricy week but the food will be eaten for several months with what is being spent for the next few weeks.
This week's produce box included
Basil
Blue lake green beans
Nantes carrots
White sweet corn
Two small melons (a watermelon and a cantaloupe)
White Lady peaches (YUMMY!!)
Heirloom tomatoes
***
Daily Menu
Breakfast:
nonfat latte
peach
Lunch:
Split pea soup
1 c. milk
3 plums
Dinner:
Grilled Eggplant Stacks with goat cheese (3 Points)
Small piece of grilled snapper
Corn on the cob
2 t. olive oil
bulgur
WPA (Weekly Points Allowance) points used today: 3
WPA points available: 35
Activity points today: 4
Activity points this week: 4
Daily 8 - the 8 Healthy Guidelines
1. Fruits and veggies - 5+
2. Whole grains - bulgur
3. Milk - yes
4. Healthy oil - yes
5. Protein - yes
6. Limit sugar and alcohol - yes
7. Water - 8+
8. Multivitamin - yes
One of our neighbors has chickens and a lovely garden, supplying some of her neighbors with occasional eggs. Another neighbor grows zucchini by the bushel and it is a regular late-summer gift to all of his neighbors. At the end of the street, a small garden is growing between the street and sidewalk, with staked tomatoes, strawberries, and squash. Our suburban street is flush with fresh, flavorful, foods!
My garden plans have been sadly neglected, but I'm more inspired to start with late season seeds and join the grow-my-own club. There is an event scheduled at Common Ground in Palo Alto called the Edible Landscaping tour, described as a self-guided tour to
Learn what motivates your neighbors to grow their own food! Discover how folks weave edible plants into both garden beds and the landscape! Meet the gardeners and get inspired by the special features of their gardens!I'll be joining just to see what else is growing in our neighborhood that I don't even know is edible!
***
Today's weigh in showed a drop of 1.6 lb., for a total of 18.2 lost. Next week should bring me to the 20 lb. mark. At the meeting today, our leader Jennifer started a travelling food journal. A different member takes the journal each week and tracks what they eat that week, passing it along at the end of their week for someone new. I thought it was a really neat idea, and a good way to get new ideas. I took it for the first week, and hopefully I can take a look at the end of the book to see what other people have been eating. I'm a food voyeur! :)
I did my shopping after Weight Watchers and made up for my very inexpensive shopping week last week! I didn't end up buying any more milk last week, so my total was only $17.45. This week, I needed more lentils, beans, oatmeal, milk, yogurt, a few spices, and of course produce, plus a few incidentals. I asked the buyer at Country Sun where the lentils and black beans come from, but she couldn't say specifically, only "back east". Many of the bulk bins are local, including Lundberg Farms rice, locally grown nuts and such.
I spent $51.50 at Country Sun, $25 at the farmer's market (including Spring Hill smoked sharp cheddar and a piece of snapper), and another $42 at the Grocery Outlet, where I bought 12-grain bread by Vital Vittles, whole wheat pitas by Soli's Bakery, corn tortillas by another local company, and a case of canned vegetable stock (not local), case of canned organic tomatoes (not local), two blocks of organic cheese from Petaluma (and only $2.99 a lb!) and a jar of pickles for Mr.M. He likes Clausen pickles and only Clausen pickles, but I rarely buy them.
Yesterday, I bought eggs (local and organic) and Garden burgers for the boy-o (not local) at Costco for $12.98. My food expenses for the week thus add up to $131.48. Tomorrow, I'm buying more produce to can and freeze, and I ordered another whole salmon, coming in next week; I'm also sending in a check for the grain CSA, so it will be another pricy week but the food will be eaten for several months with what is being spent for the next few weeks.
This week's produce box included
Basil
Blue lake green beans
Nantes carrots
White sweet corn
Two small melons (a watermelon and a cantaloupe)
White Lady peaches (YUMMY!!)
Heirloom tomatoes
***
Daily Menu
Breakfast:
nonfat latte
peach
Lunch:
Split pea soup
1 c. milk
3 plums
Dinner:
Grilled Eggplant Stacks with goat cheese (3 Points)
Small piece of grilled snapper
Corn on the cob
2 t. olive oil
bulgur
WPA (Weekly Points Allowance) points used today: 3
WPA points available: 35
Activity points today: 4
Activity points this week: 4
Daily 8 - the 8 Healthy Guidelines
1. Fruits and veggies - 5+
2. Whole grains - bulgur
3. Milk - yes
4. Healthy oil - yes
5. Protein - yes
6. Limit sugar and alcohol - yes
7. Water - 8+
8. Multivitamin - yes
Sunday, July 8, 2007
As predicted, I gained a pound this week with all the celebration foods. Back on track with fewer distractions, this week will hopefully make up for last week!
My food budget last week hovered at $170 including party foods, so more than I anticipated spending but still not horrible. The budget this week is quite small, though, to make up for the overspending last week. This week, so far I've spent a whopping $2.25 (a bunch of kale and 3 artichokes) plus my pre-paid produce box. I'll need milk and eggs, but am mostly set with leftovers from last week and the freezer stock.
Here's what my CSA box included this week (we ate the corn last night)
Corn
Cucumbers
Edamame
Potatoes
Summer Squash
Peaches
This week's menu:
Sunday - Veggie burgers, whole wheat couscous, edamame-green bean salad, grilled peaches
Monday - Crockpot Pot roast with carrots and potatoes,
Tuesday - Bean and barley soup, steamed artichokes
Wednesday - Whole wheat pasta with white beans and zucchini
Thursday - Dhal (lentils), brown rice, Swiss Chard, cucumber salad
Friday - Tofu stirfry
Daily Menu
Breakfast
Shredded wheat
milk
peach
Lunch
Lentil soup
Carrots
milk
Dinner
Veggie burger
whole wheat couscous
edamame-green bean salad
grilled peaches (YUM!)
WPA (Weekly Points Allowance) points used today: 0
WPA points available: 35
Activity points today: 4
Activity points this week: 4
Daily 8 - the 8 Healthy Guidelines
1. Fruits and veggies - 5+
2. Whole grains - shredded wheat, couscous
3. Milk - yes
4. Healthy oil - yes
5. Protein - yes
6. Limit sugar and alcohol - yes
7. Water - 8+
8. Multivitamin - yes
My food budget last week hovered at $170 including party foods, so more than I anticipated spending but still not horrible. The budget this week is quite small, though, to make up for the overspending last week. This week, so far I've spent a whopping $2.25 (a bunch of kale and 3 artichokes) plus my pre-paid produce box. I'll need milk and eggs, but am mostly set with leftovers from last week and the freezer stock.
Here's what my CSA box included this week (we ate the corn last night)
Corn
Cucumbers
Edamame
Potatoes
Summer Squash
Peaches
This week's menu:
Sunday - Veggie burgers, whole wheat couscous, edamame-green bean salad, grilled peaches
Monday - Crockpot Pot roast with carrots and potatoes,
Tuesday - Bean and barley soup, steamed artichokes
Wednesday - Whole wheat pasta with white beans and zucchini
Thursday - Dhal (lentils), brown rice, Swiss Chard, cucumber salad
Friday - Tofu stirfry
Daily Menu
Breakfast
Shredded wheat
milk
peach
Lunch
Lentil soup
Carrots
milk
Dinner
Veggie burger
whole wheat couscous
edamame-green bean salad
grilled peaches (YUM!)
WPA (Weekly Points Allowance) points used today: 0
WPA points available: 35
Activity points today: 4
Activity points this week: 4
Daily 8 - the 8 Healthy Guidelines
1. Fruits and veggies - 5+
2. Whole grains - shredded wheat, couscous
3. Milk - yes
4. Healthy oil - yes
5. Protein - yes
6. Limit sugar and alcohol - yes
7. Water - 8+
8. Multivitamin - yes
Saturday, June 30, 2007
Weigh in, Budget Update, Daily Menu for June 30, and a Non-Scale Vicory
Today's weigh in was great - another 2 lb. gone, for a total of 17.6 gone in 6 weeks. Hooray!
I did my grocery shopping after Weight Watchers and spent $97.15 for the week, over my Thrifty Plan allotment by $5.00. I'll probably spend more tomorrow. We're hosting a Fourth of July party and party food obviously costs a bit more than your standard weekly menu, so I anticipate a higher budget this week. I bought fruits and veggies for a variety of CORE salads for the barbecue - the Mexican cole slaw, quinoa and black bean salad, grilled corn on the cob, and a fruit salad in a hollowed out watermelon. People are bringing their own meats to grill. We are also buying beer for the party, which will throw me way over budget! Our personal weekly menu, outside of the barbecue, is closer to $75 and won't change much.
***
I was attending a wedding in Pacifica today with my mom and we stopped at the Princeton Seafood Company (blogged about a few weeks back as well) for a healthy lunch on the way, not expecting to find much in the way of Weight Watchers friendly dining at the wedding. We split a fresh salmon salad (I dressed mine with lemon juice) and I had a cup of artichoke soup (all CORE ingredients.) As anticipated, the wedding had nothing that would work on my plan, and I'm very pleased that we thought ahead to eat so I wasn't there, hungry, with a buffet full of off-plan foods.
During the reception, my cutie 3-year-old nephew (son of the bride) was unaccompanied while the bridal party was doing bridal party things, so I helped him through the buffet and fed him lunch, then chased him for the next two hours or so. That kid has ENERGY, and wasn't at all interested in sitting still! At cake time, there was no one to cut the cake, and I volunteered to cut the cake - it's one of the random skills leftover from being a bride myself. Because I was staying busy, no one noticed that I didn't eat at the buffet or have any cake, and I was satisfied from lunch. I avoided the buffet line and the cake, having just one bite of my mom's cake. Hooray for this HUGE non-scale victory for me!
We stopped at Joy Meadow restaurant on the way home and had a nice, on program dinner. All I have to count for the day is the fortune cooke.
***
Daily Menu:
I ate out every meal today, and I was pleased with my choices. I don't know about the healthy oils, and dairy will be a midnight snack, but the rest of the 8 healthy guidelines were covered. Tomorrow we're attending a barbecue at a friend's house, and I plan to eat ahead and stay occupied, since the strategy worked well for me today!
Breakfast:
Plum
Lunch:
1 c. artichoke soup
about 2 c. green salad
1/2 hard boiled egg
about 3 ounces of salmon
Dinner:
Nepal Loaf (a bakede-burger type cake with brown rice, tofu, veggies, and a mushroom gravy made without flour)
about 1/2 c. brown rice
about 1/2 c. mixed veggies
fortune cookie (2 Points)
Snack:
2 c. milk
WPA (Weekly Points Allowance) points used today: 2
WPA points available: 35
Activity points today: 3 (chasing my nephew!)
Activity points this week: 3
Daily 8 - the 8 Healthy Guidelines
1. Fruits and veggies - 5
2. Whole grains - brown rice
3. Milk - yes
4. Healthy oil - no
5. Protein - yes
6. Limit sugar and alcohol - yes
7. Water - 8+
8. Multivitamin - yes
I did my grocery shopping after Weight Watchers and spent $97.15 for the week, over my Thrifty Plan allotment by $5.00. I'll probably spend more tomorrow. We're hosting a Fourth of July party and party food obviously costs a bit more than your standard weekly menu, so I anticipate a higher budget this week. I bought fruits and veggies for a variety of CORE salads for the barbecue - the Mexican cole slaw, quinoa and black bean salad, grilled corn on the cob, and a fruit salad in a hollowed out watermelon. People are bringing their own meats to grill. We are also buying beer for the party, which will throw me way over budget! Our personal weekly menu, outside of the barbecue, is closer to $75 and won't change much.
***
I was attending a wedding in Pacifica today with my mom and we stopped at the Princeton Seafood Company (blogged about a few weeks back as well) for a healthy lunch on the way, not expecting to find much in the way of Weight Watchers friendly dining at the wedding. We split a fresh salmon salad (I dressed mine with lemon juice) and I had a cup of artichoke soup (all CORE ingredients.) As anticipated, the wedding had nothing that would work on my plan, and I'm very pleased that we thought ahead to eat so I wasn't there, hungry, with a buffet full of off-plan foods.
During the reception, my cutie 3-year-old nephew (son of the bride) was unaccompanied while the bridal party was doing bridal party things, so I helped him through the buffet and fed him lunch, then chased him for the next two hours or so. That kid has ENERGY, and wasn't at all interested in sitting still! At cake time, there was no one to cut the cake, and I volunteered to cut the cake - it's one of the random skills leftover from being a bride myself. Because I was staying busy, no one noticed that I didn't eat at the buffet or have any cake, and I was satisfied from lunch. I avoided the buffet line and the cake, having just one bite of my mom's cake. Hooray for this HUGE non-scale victory for me!
We stopped at Joy Meadow restaurant on the way home and had a nice, on program dinner. All I have to count for the day is the fortune cooke.
***
Daily Menu:
I ate out every meal today, and I was pleased with my choices. I don't know about the healthy oils, and dairy will be a midnight snack, but the rest of the 8 healthy guidelines were covered. Tomorrow we're attending a barbecue at a friend's house, and I plan to eat ahead and stay occupied, since the strategy worked well for me today!
Breakfast:
Plum
Lunch:
1 c. artichoke soup
about 2 c. green salad
1/2 hard boiled egg
about 3 ounces of salmon
Dinner:
Nepal Loaf (a bakede-burger type cake with brown rice, tofu, veggies, and a mushroom gravy made without flour)
about 1/2 c. brown rice
about 1/2 c. mixed veggies
fortune cookie (2 Points)
Snack:
2 c. milk
WPA (Weekly Points Allowance) points used today: 2
WPA points available: 35
Activity points today: 3 (chasing my nephew!)
Activity points this week: 3
Daily 8 - the 8 Healthy Guidelines
1. Fruits and veggies - 5
2. Whole grains - brown rice
3. Milk - yes
4. Healthy oil - no
5. Protein - yes
6. Limit sugar and alcohol - yes
7. Water - 8+
8. Multivitamin - yes
Saturday, June 23, 2007
Weigh in and Daily Menu for June 22
I had my weigh in this morning, and am down another 4.6 lb. for a total loss of 15.6. I'm well on my way to my first goal of 10% (31 lb.) by September 23.
We had a substitute Weight Watchers leader today and I didn't care for her as much as our regular leader. She started the meeting talking about how she'd gained weight recently (really motivating!) When talking about activity, she said she's not exercising. I brought up the Couch to 5k that I started earlier this week (followed by the ice cream truck, haha) and she said, "Well, I can't do that because I can't run."
Another woman talked about how hard she's finding it to avoid ice cream when her kids are taking a nap because she feels like she deserves a reward, and the substitute talked about having smaller portions or just eating Weight Watchers ice cream, ignoring the reason behind the eating and the option of changing the habit to something else nurturing to her, like painting her nails or reading a book or taking a bubble bath, etc. I can see how having a meeting leader that encourages you makes such a difference. My regular meeting leader leaves me motivated and excited about the next week, and today I left a bit annoyed.
I'm off to pick up my friend at the train station, then to the Farmer's Market and back here to clean up our crazy messy dining room. I got the kitchen and bathroom clean yesterday. It will be fantastic to have an organized house for Mr.M to come home to. :)
Daily Menu
Breakfast
Summer muesli (yogurt, oatmeal, fruit, flaxseed oil) - this has become my staple breakfast. It is light, flavorful, and a full serving of dairy, whole grain, fruit, and healthy oil.
Lunch
Egg salad in tomato shells (made with yogurt, veggies and spices)
Peach
Milk
Dinner
Lentil tacos, 2 tortillas, 1 oz. shredded cheese, lettuce, tomato (5)
Mexican cole slaw
Brown rice
WPA (Weekly Points Allowance) points used today: 5
WPA points available: 34
Activity points today: 4
Activity points this week: 4
Daily 8 - the 8 Healthy Guidelines
1. Fruits and veggies - 5
2. Whole grains - oatmeal, brown rice
3. Milk - yes
4. Healthy oil - yes
5. Protein - yes
6. Limit sugar and alcohol - yes
7. Water - 8+
8. Multivitamin - yes
We had a substitute Weight Watchers leader today and I didn't care for her as much as our regular leader. She started the meeting talking about how she'd gained weight recently (really motivating!) When talking about activity, she said she's not exercising. I brought up the Couch to 5k that I started earlier this week (followed by the ice cream truck, haha) and she said, "Well, I can't do that because I can't run."
Another woman talked about how hard she's finding it to avoid ice cream when her kids are taking a nap because she feels like she deserves a reward, and the substitute talked about having smaller portions or just eating Weight Watchers ice cream, ignoring the reason behind the eating and the option of changing the habit to something else nurturing to her, like painting her nails or reading a book or taking a bubble bath, etc. I can see how having a meeting leader that encourages you makes such a difference. My regular meeting leader leaves me motivated and excited about the next week, and today I left a bit annoyed.
I'm off to pick up my friend at the train station, then to the Farmer's Market and back here to clean up our crazy messy dining room. I got the kitchen and bathroom clean yesterday. It will be fantastic to have an organized house for Mr.M to come home to. :)
Daily Menu
Breakfast
Summer muesli (yogurt, oatmeal, fruit, flaxseed oil) - this has become my staple breakfast. It is light, flavorful, and a full serving of dairy, whole grain, fruit, and healthy oil.
Lunch
Egg salad in tomato shells (made with yogurt, veggies and spices)
Peach
Milk
Dinner
Lentil tacos, 2 tortillas, 1 oz. shredded cheese, lettuce, tomato (5)
Mexican cole slaw
Brown rice
WPA (Weekly Points Allowance) points used today: 5
WPA points available: 34
Activity points today: 4
Activity points this week: 4
Daily 8 - the 8 Healthy Guidelines
1. Fruits and veggies - 5
2. Whole grains - oatmeal, brown rice
3. Milk - yes
4. Healthy oil - yes
5. Protein - yes
6. Limit sugar and alcohol - yes
7. Water - 8+
8. Multivitamin - yes
Saturday, June 16, 2007
Buying the cow, Weigh in and Daily Menu for June 16
This morning's weigh in reflected another successful week: I was down another 3.2 lb. for a total of 11 lb. in four weeks. Now I just have to stick with it even when I'm not feeling as I am right now!
After Weight Watchers, I made a mad dash to the farmer's market to pick up my CSA box and some tofu, then scrambled home so we (me and M) could hit the road and pick up the beef! We made good time to the butcher in Cotati, despite traffic through San Francisco, and loaded up the truck with organic, grassfed beef. A cow and a half, wrapped up in tidy, frozen bundles wrapped in butcher paper, takes up the entire bed of a full sized pick up truck!
We met up with the dozen or so people in the coop who collected their portions of the huge order, had lunch at the Marin Brewing Company listening to live music in the courtyard, and drove back home to put our beef in the freezer - our quarter, with all its roasts, steaks, stew meat, stock bones, and hamburger, takes about half of our 5 cubic foot freezer, leaving plenty of room for pork, chickens, and lamb, and even vegetables later in the season.
I'm a little sunburned, quite tired from moving hundreds of pounds of meat, and glad that the order is done and there is meat in the freezer whenever I want it. We're having a barbecue tomorrow to try out our grassfed sirloin steaks.
Today's CSA box includes:
Apricots
Green Beans
Carrots
Lettuce
Onion
Potatoes
Summer Squash
If you know of any good apricot recipes, please pass them on to me! I have a LOT of apricots. :) Next week we start getting peaches, yum!
Daily Menu
Breakfast
1/2 c. plain fat free yogurt from Strauss Creamery
1/8 c. oatmeal (not local, but organic and purchased locally)
1/2 banana (not local, but fair trade organic)
Lunch
at Marin Brewing Company
Spinach salad with kalamata olives, hard boiled egg, and goat cheese, dressing on the side (omitted bacon) - 3 Points for the goat cheese, 3 Points for the dressing
1/3 slice of bread - .5 Points (I just didn't need the rest of it!)
Dinner
Quinoa salad with green beans and carrots (produce from Full Belly Farms)
Beets with olive oil and balsamic (beets from Full Belly, vinegar from Hare Hollow)
milk from Clover
WPA (Weekly Points Allowance) points used today: 6.5
WPA points available: 32.5
Activity points today: 4
Activity points this week: 4
Daily 8 - the 8 Healthy Guidelines
1. Fruits and veggies - 5
2. Whole grains - quinoa
3. Milk - 2
4. Healthy oil - yes
5. Protein - yes
6. Limit sugar and alcohol - yes
7. Water - 8+
8. Multivitamin - yes
After Weight Watchers, I made a mad dash to the farmer's market to pick up my CSA box and some tofu, then scrambled home so we (me and M) could hit the road and pick up the beef! We made good time to the butcher in Cotati, despite traffic through San Francisco, and loaded up the truck with organic, grassfed beef. A cow and a half, wrapped up in tidy, frozen bundles wrapped in butcher paper, takes up the entire bed of a full sized pick up truck!
We met up with the dozen or so people in the coop who collected their portions of the huge order, had lunch at the Marin Brewing Company listening to live music in the courtyard, and drove back home to put our beef in the freezer - our quarter, with all its roasts, steaks, stew meat, stock bones, and hamburger, takes about half of our 5 cubic foot freezer, leaving plenty of room for pork, chickens, and lamb, and even vegetables later in the season.
I'm a little sunburned, quite tired from moving hundreds of pounds of meat, and glad that the order is done and there is meat in the freezer whenever I want it. We're having a barbecue tomorrow to try out our grassfed sirloin steaks.
Today's CSA box includes:
Apricots
Green Beans
Carrots
Lettuce
Onion
Potatoes
Summer Squash
If you know of any good apricot recipes, please pass them on to me! I have a LOT of apricots. :) Next week we start getting peaches, yum!
Daily Menu
Breakfast
1/2 c. plain fat free yogurt from Strauss Creamery
1/8 c. oatmeal (not local, but organic and purchased locally)
1/2 banana (not local, but fair trade organic)
Lunch
at Marin Brewing Company
Spinach salad with kalamata olives, hard boiled egg, and goat cheese, dressing on the side (omitted bacon) - 3 Points for the goat cheese, 3 Points for the dressing
1/3 slice of bread - .5 Points (I just didn't need the rest of it!)
Dinner
Quinoa salad with green beans and carrots (produce from Full Belly Farms)
Beets with olive oil and balsamic (beets from Full Belly, vinegar from Hare Hollow)
milk from Clover
WPA (Weekly Points Allowance) points used today: 6.5
WPA points available: 32.5
Activity points today: 4
Activity points this week: 4
Daily 8 - the 8 Healthy Guidelines
1. Fruits and veggies - 5
2. Whole grains - quinoa
3. Milk - 2
4. Healthy oil - yes
5. Protein - yes
6. Limit sugar and alcohol - yes
7. Water - 8+
8. Multivitamin - yes
Saturday, June 9, 2007
Weigh in, Farmer's Market Joy, and Daily Menu for June 9
This has been an excellent morning! I woke up bright and early with Jax cheerfully snuggled against me, never a bad way to start the day. We got up and dressed to head over to Weight Watchers for my weekly meeting, and I lost (are you ready for this?)
5.6 lb. THIS WEEK ALONE!
My goal is 30 lb. down by 9/23/07 and I'm currently down 7.8 lb. in three weeks (at 303.8 lb.), well ahead of goal.
This is craziness! I ate plenty of food, lots of great whole grains, tons of fresh fruits and veggies (made all the easier by the abundance at the farmer's market), and ate until I was satisfied and not stuffed. That's it. I counted the Points on non-Core foods and planned and tracked my meals, got in the 8 healthy guidelines almost every day, and wasn't hungry. I can do this.
Plus, Jax was happy during the meeting (another shock!), happily eating a cup of fruit and an oat muffin and sitting quietly next to me for the full half hour, clapping along whenever the group cheered for someone's accomplishment.
Next, we went over to Country Sun to pick up milk, grains, and chicken for the week. I bought more bulgur and whole wheat couscous, two puffed whole grain cereals (millet and kamut, both of them with a single ingredient - organic millet and organic kamut!), milk (fat free for me, whole for Jax), yogurt, and a whole chicken.
Onto the farmer's market in Palo Alto, which is bustling by 9:30 am. We cruised over to the Full Belly Farms stall to pick up our CSA box, which today included green beans, carrots, garlic, chard, squash, beets, apricots, and newly dug potatoes, which the "Full Belly Beet" (the accompanying newsletter) announces were "harvested, washed, and packed for you by an enthusiastic group of children from the Golden Valley Charter School."
We stopped to listen to the guitarist, and while I was tempted to get a crepe, the line was long and I didn't want to use the points so we kept moving. We took a leisurely stroll around the market, picking up tofu from Hodo Soy, snapper from F/V Anne B, blueberries, peaches from Kashiwase Farm, a bottle of apple pomegranite balsamic vinegar from Hare Hollow, radishes, cilantro, whole wheat flour (not Core), and a few heads of lettuce. We're going to eat well this week! The peaches are especially flavorful and juicy, and we sampled the many varieties before choosing Arctic Snow, a white fleshed, sweet but not too sweet peach.
My favorite part of the farmer's market is the interaction with the people producing your food. I love talking to Pietro, our fishmonger, about the best way to cook a new-to-me fish, or asking the best way to use a new vegetable from any of the produce stands.
I bought cilantro and radishes today and Stephanie from the Green Oaks Creek Farm and Retreat suggested marinating the radishes in rice wine vinegar to remove the bite and add a tangy flavor. We'll be having that one day this week. They also sell strawberries, wool in skeins for knitters, and tomato starts.
So here is today's daily menu:
The latte is from Starbucks (I wasn't on the ball enough to bring it with me this morning.)
Breakfast:
nonfat latte
peach
Lunch:
Artichoke soup
Dinner:
(out to eat)
Salmon and a huge salad
Zucchini and carrots
milk
WPA (Weekly Points Allowance) points used today: 0
WPA points available: 35
Activity points today: 4
Activity points this week: 4
Daily 8 - the 8 Healthy Guidelines
1. Fruits and veggies - 6
2. Whole grains - None today
3. Milk - 2
4. Healthy oil - yes
5. Protein - yes
6. Limit sugar and alcohol - yes
7. Water - 8+
8. Multivitamin - yes
5.6 lb. THIS WEEK ALONE!
My goal is 30 lb. down by 9/23/07 and I'm currently down 7.8 lb. in three weeks (at 303.8 lb.), well ahead of goal.
This is craziness! I ate plenty of food, lots of great whole grains, tons of fresh fruits and veggies (made all the easier by the abundance at the farmer's market), and ate until I was satisfied and not stuffed. That's it. I counted the Points on non-Core foods and planned and tracked my meals, got in the 8 healthy guidelines almost every day, and wasn't hungry. I can do this.
Plus, Jax was happy during the meeting (another shock!), happily eating a cup of fruit and an oat muffin and sitting quietly next to me for the full half hour, clapping along whenever the group cheered for someone's accomplishment.
Next, we went over to Country Sun to pick up milk, grains, and chicken for the week. I bought more bulgur and whole wheat couscous, two puffed whole grain cereals (millet and kamut, both of them with a single ingredient - organic millet and organic kamut!), milk (fat free for me, whole for Jax), yogurt, and a whole chicken.
Onto the farmer's market in Palo Alto, which is bustling by 9:30 am. We cruised over to the Full Belly Farms stall to pick up our CSA box, which today included green beans, carrots, garlic, chard, squash, beets, apricots, and newly dug potatoes, which the "Full Belly Beet" (the accompanying newsletter) announces were "harvested, washed, and packed for you by an enthusiastic group of children from the Golden Valley Charter School."
We stopped to listen to the guitarist, and while I was tempted to get a crepe, the line was long and I didn't want to use the points so we kept moving. We took a leisurely stroll around the market, picking up tofu from Hodo Soy, snapper from F/V Anne B, blueberries, peaches from Kashiwase Farm, a bottle of apple pomegranite balsamic vinegar from Hare Hollow, radishes, cilantro, whole wheat flour (not Core), and a few heads of lettuce. We're going to eat well this week! The peaches are especially flavorful and juicy, and we sampled the many varieties before choosing Arctic Snow, a white fleshed, sweet but not too sweet peach.
My favorite part of the farmer's market is the interaction with the people producing your food. I love talking to Pietro, our fishmonger, about the best way to cook a new-to-me fish, or asking the best way to use a new vegetable from any of the produce stands.
I bought cilantro and radishes today and Stephanie from the Green Oaks Creek Farm and Retreat suggested marinating the radishes in rice wine vinegar to remove the bite and add a tangy flavor. We'll be having that one day this week. They also sell strawberries, wool in skeins for knitters, and tomato starts.
So here is today's daily menu:
The latte is from Starbucks (I wasn't on the ball enough to bring it with me this morning.)
Breakfast:
nonfat latte
peach
Lunch:
Artichoke soup
Dinner:
(out to eat)
Salmon and a huge salad
Zucchini and carrots
milk
WPA (Weekly Points Allowance) points used today: 0
WPA points available: 35
Activity points today: 4
Activity points this week: 4
Daily 8 - the 8 Healthy Guidelines
1. Fruits and veggies - 6
2. Whole grains - None today
3. Milk - 2
4. Healthy oil - yes
5. Protein - yes
6. Limit sugar and alcohol - yes
7. Water - 8+
8. Multivitamin - yes
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